A - 53 Preliminary Psychometric Examination of Concussion Catastrophizing Scale (CCS), Self Report

Abstract Objective Pain catastrophizing is a maladaptive cognitive appraisal towards pain, where exaggerated negative schemas about pain are associated with greater likelihood of pain persisting (Chaves & Brown, 1987). We hypothesized that similar mechanisms might underlie the development of persistent concussion symptoms. We adapted a measure of pain catastrophizing to assess concussion symptom catastrophizing and examined its psychometric properties. Method Participants included 292 youth with diagnosed concussions, 57% female and mean age 14.5 years (SD 1.8) in the Care4Kids national study. First administration (T1) and second administration (T2) were about 1 and 3 months post-injury, respectively. The Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) – Child version was adapted with concussion symptoms, and named the Concussion Catastrophizing Scale (CCS). Results At T1, the original PCS three-dimension structure (Rumination, Magnification, and Helplessness) was supported with goodness of fit statistic as follows: χ2 (51) = 144.96, p 0.57, p < 0.001). Internal consistency reliability for the CCS Total score was strong (coefficient alpha =0.91). Test–retest reliability over the 2 month period was moderate (r = 0.45), moderated in part due to individual variability in recovery. At T2, significant decreases were found in the Total CCS score. Conclusion(s) Our results indicate preliminary support for the CCS-Child version as a measure of concussion symptoms catastrophizing in pediatric populations. Additional evidence of reliability and validity is needed prior to clinical use.